St. Landry democrat., 1887-04-16

ceedinc to the outdoor stage. where
| was performed the annual religious
| play. The roof was the blue sky, the
BACKGROUND the snow peaks; and Elsa
sat and listened, open-mouthed, to the
quaint mixture of Old Testament story
| and ancient legend.
Dinner followed at Frau Luia's, a
cousins; after which Bullie hopped
out of the cage and went through his
performances. His shill notes rang
out into the street, and Melchlor, the.
peddar came, and taking him on his
finger, listened critically. Melchoir
dealt in every sort OF ware. and was q
great traveller, knowing every village
and valley in the district, and some
times even going as far as Innsbruck
or Munich.
..That's fine bird of yours, Father
Franz! I don't mind giving you ten
forms for him! What do you say?'
Poor Elsa gave little cry of dismay,
| but was relieved to hear her grand
father reply:
Gold won't buy him. friend Mel
choir, thank you. He's my little
maiden's pet
After dinner the three made the
round of the fair; they watched the
peasants e-shooting at targets,
dancing under the trees, and singing
songs to the 'xither," with wild
''joddling' choruses, and only late
regained their valley home.
A few weeks later winter set in,
with unusual violence of storm and
rain, and brought dire misfortune
to Elsa. Her grandfather was con-
fined to bed with rheumatism, and the
river rising suddenly in the night, and
flooding the valley, carried off their
crops, and drowned the two cows, their
chief support. The damp and anxiety
made the old man SO i'll, that Elsa be-
came quite anxious. Their food and
their money were exhausted, and there
was no more milk to make cheeses for
sale.
Elsa was at her wits end what to do,
when CHEEKY pipe from Bullie re-
minded her of Melchior's words If
she sold the bird. she could procure
medicine and food for her grandfather.
But it was a bitter wrench, and the
tears rolled down her cheeks, and
wetted Bullie's glossy coat, as, taking
him from his cage. she pressed him to
her lips for last kiss.
Then she told her grandfather she
was off to Inst to buy provisions.
There was a lull in the storm, but
the mountains were swathed in cot
ton-wool-like fog, as the brave little
maiden ascended the winding path.
The moisture chilled her TO the bone,
and the white world around her fright
ened her by its silence. But on she
went, and the fog closed stealthily
round, and gradually hid the path and
every landmark from her sight. Strug-
Cling on in terror, rift in the midst
showed her she was utterly lost. and on
the brink of a yawnng precipice. Over
come with fatigue and fear, Elsa sank
to the ground, hiding Bullie's cage
under her cloak, and gave herself up
for lost. The cold fog wrapped her in
its chilly embrace, and death-like
torpor gradually stole over her.
1t was nearly nightfall when two
sent by her anxious
grandfather to search for her. came
cropping their way through the fog,
fearing the worst for her. Suddenly,
through the awful stiffness, q familiar
sound struck on their ears, and the
shrill notes of the Emperor's Hymn
came ringing through the gloom. It
was Bullie piping away cheerily from
beneath the warm shelter of his poor
little mistress, whom they found lying
in most perilous spot.
Thus had the lite bird saved Elsa's
life!
The wood-cutters carried her down
to Inst to Frau Lula, to whose care the
old grandfather, too, was presently re-
moved. And need not say that none
ever dreamt again of selling the bull
E. CuthelJ, in Little Folks.